Page 17 of His Secret Mate

"Here," he said, pointing at a section of the screen. "This looks like a partial recovery. It's not everything, but it's something."

Lara leaned in closer, hope igniting in her chest. "Really? Can you get more?"

"I'll need to use some specialized software," he replied. "But I think we can salvage a good portion of it. Just give me a bit more time."

Minutes turned into hours as Orion painstakingly worked to recover the data. Lara alternated between watching him and pacing the room, her emotions a confused mix of hope and fear. Finally, he sat back, a satisfied look on his face.

"I managed to recover about ninety percent of your data," he said, turning the screen towards her. "It’s not perfect, but I think I got most of your critical information."

Lara’s eyes scanned the files, relief flooding through her as she saw the familiar structure of her research. "Oh my god you did it," she breathed. "You saved my work."

He smiled, a rare softness in his eyes. "You’re not alone in this, Lara. We’re a team."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Lara threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered against his chest. "I don’t know what I would’ve done without you."

Orion held her close, his voice a soothing rumble. "Well, for one thing, you would have died.”

She punched him in the side, and he winced, laughing at her. “That is so not funny.”

“Dire wolf humor. You’ll get used to it. Seriously, sweetheart, I’ll always be here to help, no matter what."

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace, the storm outside began to calm, the thunder fading into the distance. There had been a time the future for the Tasmanian Devils had looked as bleak as the landscape, but now she felt there wasn’t anything that she and Orion couldn’t do together.

"We should back this up properly now," Orion suggested, pulling back slightly to look at her.

Lara nodded, a smile breaking through the remnants of her earlier despair. "Yes, and maybe you could show me how to prevent this from happening again?"

"Of course," he replied, his eyes twinkling. "Consider it done."

She continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye as they worked together. She had been surprised at how easy it had been to allow him to help her. It was not something she’d ever been comfortable with and living among creatures that in many ways were superior to humans hadn’t helped. They’d never made her feel inadequate; she had done that all on her own. But now, with Orion by her side, she felt like there was very little in this world she couldn’t accomplish, including finding if not a cure, then at least making significant strides in the fight against DFTD.

CHAPTER 8

LARA

The storm had finally passed, leaving the air crisp and clear as the first rays of sunlight pierced the heavy clouds. Lara and Orion stood on the deck of Aurora Station, surveying the damage. The relentless snow, rain and howling winds had taken their toll, but the communication systems were finally back online, offering a lifeline to the outside world.

"We should head back to Otter Cove," Lara said, her voice steady but tinged with exhaustion. She hadn't slept much in the past few days, her mind too occupied with the weight of her research and the urgency of their mission. "I need to run those final tests and prepare the serum."

Orion nodded, his intense gaze never leaving her face. He could see the determination in her eyes, the fire that had driven her through countless sleepless nights. "Let's go," he said simply, his deep voice a comforting rumble.

They gathered their equipment and loaded the cargo plane. This time she would sit up front in the cockpit with him. The journey back to Otter Cove was a silent one. She realized later when she woke up that Orion had been deliberately quiet, hoping she would succumb to her exhaustion and fall asleep. The aftermath of the storm had left the landscape raw and beautiful, the ground soaked but the skies now clear.

When they arrived in Otter Cove, Lara wasted no time in returning to her lab, while Orion went to report to Deke. She moved with purpose, her hands deftly setting up the equipment and preparing the samples. Orion joined her within short order watching her, his presence a steadying force. He knew better than to interrupt her when she was in her element, her focus razor-sharp.

"I need to check the integrity of the DNA samples first," Lara said, mostly to herself. "If everything is intact, we can proceed with synthesizing the serum."

Orion nodded, stepping closer to offer his assistance. "Tell me what you need."

"Can you monitor the sequencing process?" Lara asked, glancing at him briefly. "I need to make sure there are no anomalies."

"Of course," Orion replied, taking his place at one of the workstations. He was adept with technology, his skills a surprising complement to his otherwise primal nature. As he worked, Lara felt a surge of gratitude for his unwavering support.

Hours passed in a blur of concentration. The lab was filled with the hum of machinery and the soft click of keyboards. Lara's heart pounded with anticipation as the results began to come in.

"It's looking good," Orion said, his eyes scanning the data. "No anomalies so far."

Lara breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Let's move on to the synthesis."

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